EA032302B1 - Rolling stand for metal products - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a rolling stand for oblong metal products comprising a plurality of rolling rolls (11) each installed on a respective rotation shaft (12), wherein a coupling member (15) is interposed between at least one rotation shaft (12) and the respective rolling roll (11), the coupling member (15) is configured to couple the rolling roll (11) and the rotation shaft (12) to each other. The coupling member (15) comprises a tubular body (16) interposed between the rolling roll (11) and the rotation shaft (12), wherein the tubular body (16) is provided with a chamber (17) in which a deformer element (18) is inserted mobile.

Description

The technical field to which the invention relates.

The present invention relates to stands of a rolling mill and (or) a finishing stand of a rolling mill for rolling metal products, such as plates or rods.

However, the possibility of applying the present invention to stands of a rolling mill intended for rolling pipes and / or non-circular products is not ruled out.

Preferred, without excluding others, is the use of the present invention for finishing and calibration stands of the rolling mill, with which metal products are given the final shape.

In addition, the present invention relates to a method for installing and replacing rolls or roll rings in a mill stand.

The background of the invention

Known mill stands containing three or more rolls or roll rings that are spaced apart from each other at an angle to each other, for example at an angle of 120 or 90 °, and together create the necessary roll gap through which the rolled metal product is passed.

For example, a rolling mill stand structure is known which comprises three or more rolls or roll rings, each of which is integrally mounted on a respective support shaft using a conical clutch formed at least between the roll and the support shaft.

One example of a tapered clutch between a rolling roll and a support shaft is disclosed, in particular, in the publication I8 I E29968.

Solutions are also known in which each support shaft is hollow inside, forming an essentially tubular structure, while a clamping pin is mounted coaxially with the inside of the support shaft.

Said clamping pin with its first end can be screwed into the head flange, which is also supported by a tubular axial pressure element mounted in a conical engagement with the support shaft.

Said tubular axial pressure element is positioned abutting in the roll roller or the roll ring, which, in turn, is mounted with emphasis on the tubular thrust element, which is also mounted with a conical engagement with the support shaft.

A threaded nut is screwed onto the opposite end of the clamping pin, which, in turn, is thrust against the end of the support shaft.

When screwing said nut, the clamping pin is subjected to axial tension and axial force is transmitted to said head flange. This head flange transfers axial force to the said tubular thrust element and to the roll roll or roll ring, forming a limitation due to the conical adhesion of the latter to the support shaft.

In order to guarantee the desired mechanical interaction between the rolling roll or the rolling ring and the support shaft, the latter is equipped with an oil supply system in its volume, which provides oil supply to the interaction zone between the support shaft and the rolling roll.

In particular, during installation operations through the aforementioned oil supply system for lubricating a roll or roll ring and the head of the support shaft under extremely high pressure, for example 360 MPa (3600 bar), oil is supplied. In this state of lubrication, a simultaneous tension of the clamping pin is required, which ensures clamping through the interaction of the roll roll or roll ring with the support shaft.

Said tension of the clamping pin then makes it possible to disconnect the oil supply devices and, therefore, maintain an adequate locking pressure even during the rolling process.

Then, in the reverse order, the step of removing the roll roll or roll ring is performed. Therefore, oil under pressure is again fed through the oil supply system to lubricate the conical interaction zone between the roll roller or the roll ring and the support shaft, and a nut is screwed to remove tension from the clamping pin.

The support shaft, in turn, is mounted on an eccentric sleeve configured to rotate eccentrically with respect to the support shaft and, therefore, with respect to a rolling roll or a rolling ring mounted on it.

This eccentric rotation of said eccentric sleeve defines a radial adjustment of the clearance clearance.

The eccentric sleeve is equipped with support elements or bearings on which a support shaft is mounted rotatably.

During the first installation and / or replacement of the rolls or roll rings or when removing the support shaft, at least several support elements are removed. However, the removal of support elements leads to the loss of reference points that could be used in subsequent

- 1 032302 re-installing the support shaft and attaching the roll roll or roll ring.

Removing the support elements is also associated with an increase in the number of components that must be reinstalled, observing the adjustment in each case, eliminating backlash and avoiding errors.

In addition, in this case, they provide the possibility of direct axial removal of components that can slip during the execution of these operations, which is associated with the risk of destruction.

Another disadvantage of this type of mill stand is that it is very difficult to manufacture because it requires a large number of components to produce it.

Another drawback of this type of mill stand is the use of the high pressures that are required to create and remove the clamp between the roll or roll ring and the support shaft. In practice, these high pressures can cause leaks and create a risk of accidents for operators if damage occurs to the oil supply equipment.

Therefore, one of the objectives of the invention is the creation of a mill stand, which would be easier to assemble and would have fewer components.

Reducing the number of components also allows you to get a mill stand, which requires less maintenance operations due to less wear of the components.

Another objective of the invention is to create a mill stand, in which the dismantling and (or) installation of the rolls or roll rings are simplified in comparison with the known solutions.

To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to achieve the above and other objectives and advantages, the applicant has developed, tested and implemented the invention.

A brief description of the invention

The invention is described and characterized in the independent claims, while in the dependent claims other characteristics of the invention or variants of the main inventive concept are described.

In accordance with the above objectives of the present invention, the proposed mill stand and (or) the finishing mill stand for rolling long metal products comprises a set of rolls or roll rings, each of which is mounted on a respective rotatable shaft.

Further, in the present description, the term “rolling roll” will be mainly used, and it should be borne in mind that everything that will be stated in this connection is equally applicable to the rolling ring.

In addition, unless otherwise specified, the following description is suitable for stands of a rolling mill equipped with two, three (usually), four or more rolls or roll rings that together create the necessary roll gap through which a long metal product is passed for achieve the desired final size and shape.

As mentioned above, the rolls together create the necessary roll gap through which a long metal product is passed through the stands during operation.

A connecting element is provided between at least one of the rotatable shafts and the corresponding rolling roll.

According to one aspect of the invention, said connecting element comprises a tubular housing located between the roll roll and the rotatable shaft and provided with at least one chamber in which at least one deformer element is arranged for movable operation for selectively actuating for deforming said chamber and said tubular body.

In practice, deformation of the tubular body provides the ability to optionally create and remove mechanical interaction between the tubular body and the roll roll, so that a reliable connection (or jamming) of the roll roll with the rotatable shaft is guaranteed.

It seems to provide an advantage such a solution in which the said deformer element is made like a piston, for which the linear movement inside the tubular body is provided.

This solution with a tubular housing and a chamber located outside and separately from the rotatable shaft allows simplifying the installation of the roll roll on the corresponding rotatable shaft and its dismantling, which drastically reduces the time spent.

In addition, with this solution, facilitation of operations for the manufacture of components and their joint assembly, as well as reduction of obstacles during operations associated with the mutual movement of the components, is ensured.

In addition, the present invention also relates to a method for installing and (or) replacing a rolling roll of a rolling mill stand on a rotatable shaft, which engages the rolling roll with

- 2 032302 rotatable shaft by introducing between them a connecting element with a tubular body.

According to one aspect of the invention, said engagement is achieved by linearly moving at least one deformer element within at least one chamber of the tubular body located between the roll roll and the rotatable shaft, so as to deform these chambers and the tubular body to form mechanical engagement through interaction with the through cavity, which is equipped with a rolling roll.

In addition, the present invention also relates to a method for removing a roll roll from a rotatable shaft of a mill stand.

Brief Description of Attached Graphics

These and other characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the following description of certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a stand of a rolling mill for rolling metal products according to the invention.

In FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a portion of the mill stand of FIG. one.

In FIG. 3, 4 and 5 schematically depict the stages of the installation process of the stand in the rolling mill.

To facilitate understanding, the same reference signs are used to identify common elements in the drawings as much as possible for common elements. It should be understood without particular explanation that the elements and characteristics of one embodiment of the invention may be incorporated into other embodiments.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The subject of the invention is a mill stand 10 for rolling long metal products such as strips, metal wire, rods, and the like.

The stand 10 comprises at least two rolls 11, usually three rolls 11, four rolls 11 (as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1) or more.

If there are four rolls 11, they can be arranged in the same plane by opposite pairs, forming the shape of a straight cross (+) or an oblique cross (x), i.e. one (first) pair of rolls is oriented horizontally, and the other (second) pair of rolls is oriented vertically, or the first pair of rolls is oriented at an angle to the horizontal, and the second pair of rolls is oriented at an angle, for example, at an angle of 90 °, to the first pair of rolls.

The rolling rolls 11 together create the necessary roll gap 48, through which a metal product is passed through the stands during operation.

Each rolling roll 11 is mounted on a respective rotatable shaft 12, as will be described below.

In the solution illustrated in FIG. 2, the rolling roll 11 is provided with a hub 13, which during operation of the cage is connected to said rotatable shaft, and a ring 14, which is rigidly attached to said hub 13 and is configured to replace or restore it with respect to the hub 13, for example, in case of wear.

A connecting element 15 is provided, which is installed between the rotatable shaft 12 and the corresponding rolling roll 11, this connecting element 15 is made with the option to optionally provide with it a strong mutual connection between the rolling roll 11 and the rotatable shaft 12.

Said connecting element 15 comprises a tubular body 16, which is installed between the roll roller 11 and the rotatable shaft 12 and has at least one chamber 17, in which at least one deformer element 18 is provided, mounted in it in a movable manner and configured to the option to set it in motion to deform the said chamber 17, providing, as a consequence, the deformation of the said tubular body 16 with the creation of a blocking clutch or jamming of the rolling roll 11 on a rotary shaft 12.

According to one possible solution, the chamber 17 is made in the volume of the tubular body 16, it is essentially closed from the outer space and connected to the hydro-gas-dynamic circuit 19 for supplying a working fluid, which is usually used as oil.

The circulation of the working fluid in the chamber 17 causes the displacement, in this case in the axial direction, of the deformer element 18 inside the chamber 17 and, as a result, the radial deformation of the tubular body 16, which, in turn, leads to the mechanical interaction of the latter with the rotated shaft 12 and rolling roll 11.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 1, the deformer 18 has a conical tubular shape with a wedge-shaped cross section of the thickness of the pipe.

By a wedge-shaped section, it should be understood here that a wall that interacts with the camera can extend in a straight line, in a curved line, or with a rounding, or a combination of straight and curved stretching is possible.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 2, the chamber 17 has a substantially annular shape consistent with the corresponding annular shape of the deformer 18.

- 3 032302

In particular, the chamber 17 has a wedge-shaped cross-section, consistent with a part of the cross-sectional shape of the deformer 18.

The deforming element 18 allows you to create a first compartment 20 and a second compartment 21 in the chamber 17, which are separated from each other and through which the working fluid is supplied or displaced, in order to accordingly activate or deactivate the connecting element 15, thereby ensuring mutual engagement between the rotatable shaft 12 and the rolling roll 11 and their disengagement, respectively.

As a result, the tubular body 16 and the deformer element 18 together form a linear actuator, in which the tubular body 16 with its camera 17 acts as a cylinder, and the deformer element 18 works as a piston that moves linearly with sliding inside the chamber 17.

The movement of the element of the deformer 18 within the chamber 17 determines its interaction with the inner surface of the wall of the latter, resulting in the deformation of the element of the deformer 18.

According to one possible solution explained with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the said gas-hydrodynamic chain 19 is made in the volume of the rotatable shaft 12. This solution allows us not to exceed the dimensions of the stand 10 of the rolling mill and to avoid interference that components such as a supply chain for supplying the working fluid could deliver different parts of the stand 10 of the rolling mill.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the gas-gas dynamic circuit 19 has a first supply branch 22 and a second supply branch 23 connected respectively to the first compartment 20 and the second compartment 21 of the chamber 17.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 1, said first supply branch 22 and a second supply branch 23 are arranged inside the rotatable shaft 12 parallel to its longitudinal strike, while supply channels 24 are provided in communication with the possibility of transferring fluid with the first compartment 20 and the second compartment 21 of the chamber 17.

Both the first supply branch 22 and the second supply branch 23 are provided with a corresponding connecting end 25, through each of which the supply or discharge of the working fluid can be carried out.

Said connecting ends 25 may be formed on the free end of the rotatable shaft 12, so that, if necessary, it is possible to easily connect means for supplying a working fluid (not shown in the drawings).

The first supply branch 22 and the second supply branch 23, for example at their connecting ends 25, can be equipped with shut-off valves, for example non-return valves (not shown), configured to prevent leakage of the working fluid from the first compartment 20 and the second compartment 21 and from the first the supply branch 22 and the second supply branch 23, providing over time bringing the element of the deformer 18 into engagement with the camera 17 and, therefore, preventing possible vibration and weakening of the interaction.

According to one possible solution, the working fluid is supplied to the first compartment 20 or to the second compartment 21 under pressure from 90 MPa (900 bar) to 150 MPa (1500 bar), preferably from 110 MPa (1100 bar) to 130 MPa (1300 bar) , i.e. much lower than in the known solutions described above, with all the ensuing advantages.

This pressure is sufficient to bring the element of the deformer 18 into a state of jamming inside the chamber 17 of the tubular body 16 and, as a result, deformation of the latter with the creation of mechanical engagement with the rotated shaft 11.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the tubular body 16 has an outer surface 26 having a peripherally closed strike and a conical profile, for example with a taper from 1:12 to 1:40.

The rolling roller, in turn, has a clutch support surface 50, which is made in the housing and shown in the hub 13 connected to the connecting element 15.

According to one possible solution, said clutch bearing surface 50 also has a conical profile substantially consistent with the conical profile of said outer surface 26.

This solution provides perfect homomorphic adhesion between the clutch support surface 50 and the outer surface 26, guaranteeing their mutual contact, evenly distributed throughout the contact area.

According to one of the possible solutions, the orientation of the taper of the outer surface 26 of the tubular body 16 coincides with the orientation of the element-deformer 18, due to which an enhanced deforming action and, therefore, the interaction between the mechanical parts are ensured.

According to one possible solution, the tubular body 16 with its through cavity 49 is worn on the rotatable shaft 12 at the connecting section 27 of the latter.

Mentioned through cavity 49 has a cylindrical shape, consistent, including

- 4,032,302 in size, with the shape of said connecting portion 27, to ensure mutual engagement.

According to one possible solution, the rotatable shaft 12 is mounted on a supporting housing 28 having a tubular cavity 29 in which the rotatable shaft 12 is mounted.

Said support body 28 also has a protective surface 30 oriented in a direction transverse to said tubular cavity 29 and providing support for the rotatable shaft 12 so that it can rotate about its axis.

The support elements may comprise radial bearings, axial bearings, thrust bearings, mixed bearings or possible combinations of these bearings.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 2, at the first end 34 of the rotatable shaft 12, the first support elements 31 are located, and the second support elements 32 and the third support elements 33 are located at the opposite second end 35 of the rotatable shaft 12.

The second supporting elements 32 are located between the first supporting elements 31 and the third supporting elements 33, and a rolling roll 11 is installed between the first supporting elements 31 and the second supporting elements 32.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 2, corresponding holding elements 52 are connected to the first support element 31, the second support element 32 and the third support element 33, which are adapted to limit the axial position of the said support elements 31, 32 and 33 on the support housing 28. With this solution, the first support element 31 , the second support member 32 and the third support member 33 maintain their position relative to the support housing 28 even when the rotatable shaft 12 is removed to replace the roll roll 11, thereby providing a guide function for movement in rotary shaft 12.

Said holding elements 52 may comprise, for example, ring seals, gaskets, ring nuts, sealing faces, thrust portions or other elements with similar or comparable functions.

For example, the first support member 31 and the second support member 32 may be configured to provide support for radial loads due to torsional stresses transmitted by the rolling roll 11, and the third support member 33 may be configured to provide support for at least axial loads, and possibly also radial loads.

According to one possible embodiment of the invention, the rotatable shaft 12 is provided with a first support portion 54 and at least a second support portion 55, which are respectively in front of and behind the connecting element 15, interacting with at least some of the supporting elements, in this case, with the first support elements 31 and the second support elements 32, while they differ from each other in dimensions or diameters. With this solution, it is possible to more easily engage and disengage the roll roll 11 and the rotatable shaft 12.

In particular, a solution is possible in which the first abutment portion 54 has a first dimension or a first diameter Ό1, and the second abutment portion 55 has a second dimension or a second diameter Ό2 that is larger than said first diameter Ό1. In the axial direction, the first support portion 54 is located closer to the first end 34 of the rotatable shaft than to its second end 35. With this solution, it is possible to introduce the rotatable shaft in a guided manner on the first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55 to prevent sliding between components or mutual interference during installation. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the tubular body 16 has a narrowing that extends and lies between the first diameter Ό1 and the second diameter Ό2, thereby guaranteeing the centering of the roll roll 11 on the rotatable shaft 12.

According to one possible solution, which was not reflected in the accompanying drawings, the first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55 are made as a single body on a rotatable shaft 12.

According to an embodiment reflected in the accompanying drawings from FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the first support portion 54 and the second support portion 55 comprise respective support sleeves, in the considered embodiments, this is the first support sleeve 36 and the second support sleeve 37, which are mounted on the rotatable shaft 12 and define the first diameter Ό1 and the second diameter Ό2.

The first support member 31 and the second support member 32 are mounted respectively on said first support sleeve 36 and a second support sleeve 37.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 2, a third support sleeve 38 is also connected to the rotatable shaft 12, which is configured to provide support for the third support elements 33.

Said support sleeves are essentially cylindrical in shape, hollow inside and configured to be mounted, for example, with a friction fit, on a rotating shaft

12.

At least the first support sleeve 36 and the second support sleeve 37 operate as axial positioning elements of the connecting element 15, and in particular make it possible

- 5 032302 stable axial positioning on a rotatable shaft 12.

The second supporting sleeve 37 is located with a stop in the protrusion 39, made on the rotatable shaft 12, the tubular body 16, in turn, is placed with a stop in the second supporting sleeve 37, and the first supporting sleeve, in turn, is placed with a stop in the tubular body 16 .

A thrust plate 56 connected to the first end 34 of the rotatable shaft 12 is provided, configured to push the first support sleeve 36 towards the tubular body 16, the tubular body 16 towards the second support sleeve 37 and the second support sleeve 37 in the direction to said protrusion 39.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 1, said third support sleeve 37 is mounted in a fixed position relative to the support housing 28, so that when the rotatable shaft 12 is axially moved, for example to replace the roll roller 11, the third support sleeve 38 and the third support elements 33 remain in a fixed position, providing a guide for the axial displacement and serve as a guide means for the rotatable shaft 12.

According to one possible embodiment of the invention, axial holding devices 40 are arranged between the rotatable shaft 12 and the support housing 28, which are configured to limit the axial positioning of the rotatable shaft 12 relative to the support housing 28.

Said axial holding devices 40 comprise a first groove profile 41 attached to the rotatable shaft 12, a second groove profile 42 attached to the support housing 28 or made integrally with the latter, in the present embodiment, with a third support sleeve 38 attached to the support housing 28, and at least one clamping pliers 43 provided with corresponding grooved profiles configured to cooperate with said first grooved profile 41 and second grooved profile 42 and providing axially fix the rotatable shaft 12 relative to the support housing 28.

The first grooved profile 41, the second grooved profile 42 and the grooved profiles of said clamping pliers 43 have a trapezoidal cross-section and enable precise axial positioning of the rotatable shaft 12 with respect to the support housing 28.

According to one possible embodiment of the invention, the support body 28 is mounted on the support members 44, which are only partially shown in FIG. 1 and are configured to provide support for the support housing 28 so that the latter can rotate about an axis of rotation offset from the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft 12 (eccentric).

The support housing 28 is provided with drive elements 45 and / or interacts with drive elements 45, which are shown in FIG. 1 is only partially made and optionally able to drive the support housing 28 into rotation about its axis, which is offset relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft 12. This rotation of the support housing 28 results in a radial movement of the rotatable shaft 12 and the associated roll roll 11, and thereby provides the ability to adjust the required roll gap 48 between the rolling rolls 11.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 1, the support housing 28 is provided with a gear 46 configured to cooperate with appropriate drive means (not shown in the drawings) and rotate the support housing 28.

Said drive means can be suitably synchronized with each other in such a way that when one of the drive elements 45 is actuated, a corresponding synchronization actuation of the other drive elements 45 takes place, as a result of which all the rolls 11 are synchronized and uniformly moved .

According to an embodiment of the invention, which is shown in FIG. 1, synchronization devices 51 can be connected to each support housing 28 for kinematically connecting the support housings 28 to each other, so that when one support housing 28 is rotated about its axis of rotation, all other support housings 28 rotate accordingly around them axes of rotation.

According to the solution illustrated in FIG. 1, said synchronizing devices 51 of each support housing 28 comprise a gear crown or gear sector configured on the outer surface of the support housing 28 to cooperate with a corresponding gear crown or gear sector provided on an adjacent support housing 28.

The second end 35 of the rotatable shaft 12 has an attachment portion 47, which in the present embodiment is in the form of a peripheral groove, which allows capture by means of gripping means (not shown in the drawings) and for axial movement of the rotatable shaft 12.

Mentioned gripping means can be made both with the ability to grab one of the attachment sections 47, and with the ability to ensure communication of components associated with the supply of working fluid, with a hydrodynamic circuit 19.

Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIG. 3 of FIG. 5, a method for mounting one of the rolling rolls 11 on a corresponding rotatable shaft 12 will be described.

- 6 032302

In FIG. 3 shows one of the operating states of one of the rotatable shafts 12, which is partially retracted from the support housing 28 to enable the installation of a roll roll 11.

In particular, the axial holding devices 40 mentioned above are in an inoperative position, and the rotatable shaft 12 is retracted, for example by means of a gripping device, into the disengaged position with the rolling roller 11 on the protective surface 30 of the support shaft 28.

The rotary shaft 12 may be provided with a thrust surface 53, which can be made, for example, opposite the protrusion 39 with the possibility of interacting with a corresponding stop made, for example, in the support housing 28, in the considered embodiment, in accordance with the third support elements 33. The mentioned thrust surface 53 sets the position of the rotatable shaft 12 with respect to the support housing 28.

With this solution, although the rotatable shaft 12 is retracted from the support body 28, the first support elements 31, the second support elements 32 and the third support elements 33 are held in a fixed position relative to the support body 28.

In particular, the third support member 33, which remains in place during the replacement of the rolls 11, maintains the rotatable shaft 12 even when it is not supported by either the first support member 31 or the second support member 32.

In addition, when the rotatable shaft 12 is diverted from the support housing 28, the first support sleeve 36 and the second support sleeve 37 remain in fixed connection with the rotatable shaft 12, while the third support sleeve 38 is bounded by the support housing 28.

When the rotatable shaft 12 is removed, it is possible to introduce, through the region of the protective surface 30, the roll 11 to be installed, as shown by arrow P in FIG. 3.

Then, the rotatable shaft 12 is moved in the axial direction indicated in FIG. 3 by arrow C, for introducing the rotatable shaft 12 into the region of the supporting surface of the clutch 50 of the rolling roll 11.

In particular, the rotatable shaft 12 is introduced into the roll roll 11 by applying axial pressure while rotating the rotatable shaft alternately in opposite directions. With this solution, it is possible to limit the sliding of the components and facilitate the introduction of the rotatable shaft 12.

During the axial movement of the rotatable shaft 12, the roll roll 12 moves against at least one of the walls forming the protective surface 30. This wall provides a stop and a pressure plane for the correct positioning of the roll roll 11, in order to guarantee, for example, the perpendicular arrangement of the roll roll 11 with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotatable shaft 12.

The action of the axial pressure exerted on the rotatable shaft 12 determines the first clutch provided by the conical interaction between the supporting surface of the clutch 50 and the connecting element 15.

In this state, a working fluid is supplied through the first supply branch 22, as shown by arrow H in FIG. 4 into the first compartment 20 of the connecting member 15.

The introduction of a working fluid under pressure causes the deformer element 18 to slide inside the chamber 17 in the direction indicated in FIG. 4 arrow 1, and jamming it there. This jamming of the element of the deformer 18 leads to the deformation of the tubular housing 16 and the resulting mechanical coupling with the rolling roll 11.

A solution is possible in which the deformer 18 is driven inside the chamber 17 by supplying a working fluid under pressure, for example, approximately 100 MPa (1000 bar).

Drive axial holding devices 40 in the direction indicated by arrow K in FIG. 5 causes a subsequent return movement of the rotatable shaft 12 and the associated roll roller 11 in the direction indicated by arrow b to ensure that the roll roll 11 is correctly positioned (or centered) in the region of the protective surface 30, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

Replacement operations of the roll roll 11 may be performed in the reverse order of that described above.

In particular, the rotatable shaft 12 is placed coaxially with the extraction device, the purpose of which is to partially divert the rotatable shaft 12 from the support housing 28.

The axial holding devices 40 are then disconnected and the rotatable shaft 12 is pulled outward, leaving the roll 11 in contact with that region of the protective surface 30 which is opposite the region mentioned above.

Then, the rolling roll 11 is brought into a disconnected state by supplying a working fluid through the second supply branch 23. This introduction of the working fluid into the chamber 17 leads to a change in the geometric parameters of the connecting element 15 and, as a result, to the elimination of the mechanical interaction between the rolling roll 11 and the connecting element 15.

In this position, the deformer element 18 is brought into a state of lack of adhesion with the chamber 17 and, therefore, does not exert a deforming effect on the tubular body 16, which, due to the effect of elasticity, returns to its undeformed state.

- 7 032302

A solution is possible in which the deformer element 18 is driven inside the chamber 17 by supplying a working fluid under pressure, for example, approximately 130 MPa (1300 bar), i.e. under a pressure sufficient to overcome the friction arising from the mutual adhesion between the element the deformer 18 and the camera 17 of the tubular body 16.

As a result, it is possible to disconnect the rotatable shaft 12 from the roll roll 11 using gripping means.

To prevent slipping of various components, the rotatable shaft 12 is removed by pulling it at the same time as turning it in either direction.

The dismantling of the rotatable shaft 12 is further facilitated by the guiding action exerted by the third support elements 33 during the dismantling process.

In fact, maintaining the third support elements 33 in place can reduce the dismantling time of the rotatable shaft 12, reduce errors and backlash between the components, and provide a thrust / guide plane for dismantling the rotatable shaft 12.

Once the rotatable shaft 12 is removed, at least partially, and brought into position outside the region of the protective surface 30, it is possible to remove the roll roll 11.

The operations described above for installing or replacing the rolls 11 can be performed sequentially on each of the rotatable shafts 12 of the mill stand 10.

According to one possible embodiment of the invention (not shown in the accompanying drawings), the rolling mill cage is mounted on a rotary table, which during its rotations brings each second end 35 of the rotatable shaft 12 in connection with devices for extracting and supplying working fluid to replace the corresponding rolling roll.

It should be understood that the mill stand 10 described above for rolling long metal products described above can be modified, and additions can be made to it without violating the scope and spirit of the present invention.

For example, such embodiments of the present invention are possible in which the deformer element 18 is arranged to move inside the chamber 17 in the radial direction relative to the tubular body 16 with deformation of the latter and obtaining mutual coupling between the rolling roll 11 and the rotatable shaft 12.

It should also be understood that although the invention has been described with specific examples, one skilled in the art will be able to easily obtain other equivalent embodiments of the proposed mill stand 10 for rolling metal products, the features of which are set forth in the claims, and therefore falling within the scope protection defined by this claims.

Claims (15)

CLAIM 1. A cage of a rolling mill for rolling long metal products containing a plurality of rolls (11), each of which is mounted on a respective rotatable shaft (12), with at least one rotatable shaft (12) and a corresponding roll (11) a connecting element (15) is arranged for connecting said rolling roll (11) and said rotatable shaft (12) with each other, said connecting element (15) comprising a tubular body (16) located between said dummy roll (11) and said rotatable shaft (12), characterized in that the said tubular body (16) includes at least one chamber (17), inside which at least one deformer element (18) is mounted with the possibility of movement configured to selectively actuate to deform said chamber (17) and said tubular body (16). 2. A cage according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular body (16) and said chamber (17) are located outside and separately from the rotatable shaft (12). 3. A crate according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the said deformer element (18) is made in the form of a piston. 4. A crate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said chamber (17) is made in the volume of the tubular body (16), is essentially closed from the outer space and is in communication with the hydro-gas-dynamic circuit (19) for supplying a working fluid . 5. A cage according to claim 4, characterized in that said hydro-gas-dynamic circuit (19) is integrated in the body of said rotary shaft (12). 6. A crate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said deforming element (18) has a conical tubular shape with a wedge-shaped cross section. 7. A crate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said rotatable shaft (12) is mounted on a support housing (28) having a tubular cavity (29) in which a rotatable shaft (12) is installed, while between said supporting body (28) and said rotatable shaft (12) are supporting elements (31, 32, 33) installed in the tubular cavity (29) with support and the possibility of rotation of said rotatable shaft (12) around its axis. 8. A cage according to claim 7, characterized in that the said supporting housing (28) is mounted on supporting elements (44), configured to provide support for the supporting housing (28) and allowing the latter to rotate about an axis of rotation offset from the axis rotation of the rotatable shaft (12). 9. A crate according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that said rotatable shafts (12) are mounted on respective support housings (28), said support housings (28) being connected to synchronizing devices (51) configured to provide a kinematic connection of the supporting bodies (28) with each other. 10. A cage according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said rotatable shaft (12) includes a first support portion (54) and a second support portion (55) located immediately before and after the connecting element (15), respectively interacting with at least some of the said supporting elements (31, 32) and having different sizes (O1, 02). 11. A method of installing a roll roll (11) on a rotatable shaft (12) of a stand (10) of a rolling mill according to claim 1, which engages said roll roll (11) and said rotatable shaft (12) by introducing a connecting element (15) between them with a tubular body (16), characterized in that said clutch is achieved by moving at least one deformer element (18) inside at least one chamber (17) of the tubular body (16) installed between said rolling roll (11) and the said rotatable shaft (12), with the goal deforming said chamber (17) and said tubular body (16). 12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that said deformer element (18) is moved inside said chamber (17) by supplying a working fluid under a pressure of approximately 100 MPa (1000 bar). 13. A method according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that it includes an operation of retracting said rotatable shaft (12) in an axial direction from a support body (28) on which support elements (31, 32, 33) of said rotatable are mounted shaft (12) while holding said supporting elements (31, 32, 33) in a fixed position with respect to said supporting body (28) during the removal of said rotary shaft (12). 14. The method of removing the roll roll (11) from the rotary shaft (12) of the stand (10) of the rolling mill according to claim 1, wherein said roll roll (11) is engaged with said rotary shaft (12) by introducing a connecting element (15) between them ) with a tubular body (16), characterized in that said removal is achieved by moving at least one deformer element (18) inside at least one chamber (17) of the tubular body (16) installed between said rolling roll (11) and said rotatable shaft (12), in order to bring wrinkled deformer element (18) in a state of lack of adhesion with the camera (17). 15. The method according to 14, characterized in that the said element-deformer (18) is moved inside the chamber (17) by supplying a working fluid under a pressure of approximately 130 MPa (1300 bar). - 9 032302